CAMPAIGN UPDATE May 2013

This page is dedicated to correspondence with officialdom about the Aldershot Raod Allotment Site.

In the News & Library sections, we refer to the May Guildford Allotment Society AGM which was front page news reported in the Surrey Times.

We still haven't figured out why a Councillor from Friary & St Nicholas (town centre ward) should suddenly be interested in our campaign. Whatever happened to our own Councillors??

Below is the exchange of e-mails between WBDRA & GBC following that meeting - you can make your own mind up as to what's going on here!

E-MAIL EXCHANGE WBDRA CHAIR & GBC HEAD OF PLANNING

Dear Mr Bird thank you for your email.

As you rightly point out this site is contained within a current local plan policy. We will be consulting on our new local plan this year with a view to understanding our future housing needs and where we might accommodate them - amongst other matters.

I am not aware of any current plans to move the development of this site on at the moment and the waiting list is helpful in understanding the need for allotments.

I cannot pre empt any decision the Council may make following the local plan consultation. The Council will have to balance the need for homes and their location. We will need to consider all sites in the urban areas fully ( like the allotment site) before we look at land outside these areas. All comments received as a result of our consultation will be very carefully considered before any decisions are made.

I hope this explains the current situation

Regards Carol

Carol Humphrey
Head of Planning Services
Guildford Borough Council
www.guildford.gov.uk
carol.humphrey@guildford.gov.uk

Follow us on Twitter @GuildfordBC

-----Original Message-----

From: David Bird [wbdra@yahoo.co.uk]
Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2013 03:50 PM GMT Standard Time
To: Carol Humphrey
Cc: anne milton
Subject: Aldershot Road Allotment site & Housing

Dear Ms Humphrey

At last weeks AGM of the Guildford Allotment Society (GAS), one of the main agenda items was the Aldershot Road Allotment site and the situation as regards Housing & the Local Plan.

Cllr Caroline Reeves advised the meeting that she had spoken with yourself on this issue and conveyed the statement that as long as there was a waiting list (for plots), GBC would not build houses on the site.

Cllr Reeves suggested that this statement covered the whole site including the area (39 plots) which is referred to in the Saved Local Plan Policy H3.

If this is indeed so, then this looks like potentially good news for GAS, people on the GAS waiting list and the local area which WBDRA represents.

Would you be kind enough to confirm that the information passed on by Cllr Reeves is the GBC official position please?

Also, assuming the forthcoming Site Allocations Consultation results in a sizeable response in favour of Allotments & Open Space (as was the case in 2008) is it GBCs intention to lease those 39 plots to GAS?

Thank you for your time and attention   

Regards

David Bird
Chair - WBDRA
Westborough, Broadacres & District Residents Association